1777) Essays | 
their civil government, over three millions of people, 
amounted to but £70,000 sterling, and drew from 
thence a conclusion, that they ought to be taxed 
until their expense was equal in proportion to that 
which it costs Great Britain to govern eight millions. 
He had no idea of a contrary conclusion, that, if three 
millions may be well governed for £70,000, eight 
millions may be well governed for three times that 
sum, and that therefore the expense of his own gov- 
ernment should be diminished. In that corrupted 
nation, no man is ashamed of being concerned in 
lucrative government jobs, in which the public money 
is egregiously misapplied and squandered, the treas- 
ury pillaged, and more numerous and heavy taxes 
accumulated, to the great oppression of the people. 
But the prospect of a greater number of such jobs 
by a war, is an inducement with many to cry out 
for war upon all occasions, and to oppose every pro- 
position of peace. Hence the constant increase of 
the national debt, and the absolute improbability 
of its ever being discharged. 
4. Respecting the amount and certainty of income, 
and solidity of security; the whole thirteen States of 
America are engaged for the payment of every debt 
contracted by the Congress, and the debt to be con- 
tracted by the present war is the only debt they will 
have to pay; all, or nearly all the former debts of 
particular colonies being already discharged; where- 
as England will have to pay, not only the enormous 
debt this war must occasion, but all their vast pre- 
ceding debt, or the interest of it; and, while Amer- 
ica is enriching itself by prizes made upon the British 
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